Crystal Palace seem to be very busy behind the scenes in the transfer window and now a potential new arrival has once more been linked.
Oliver Glasner will have handed Dougie Freedman a pretty substantial list of positions at the end of last season for which he wants to see strengthened.
This would have been not so much to improve on the current starting group, which is pretty strong as things are, but instead to bolster the ranks as outside of the first 11, Crystal Palace were weak.
After the arrival of Chadi Riad to strengthen at centre-back, now the Eagles are eyeing up a new wing-back to compete with Tyrick Mitchell.
Crystal Palace remain interested in Filip Kostic
Already this summer, Crystal Palace have been linked on numerous occasions with having an interest in Juventus’ Filip Kostic, and now it seems the Italian side are looking to sell.
According to a report by Tutto Mercato, the Eagles maintain an interest in bringing the Serbian veteran to Selhurst Park and reuniting him with Glasner in the process.
Glasner is said to want Kostic, while a move should be fairly straightforward with Juventus looking to sell him this summer with new manager Thiago Motta not keen.
Previously it’s been reported that Kostic would fetch a fee of around £8.5m, something Freedman can afford to sanction considering the exit of Michael Olise.
Kostic’s Euro 2024 campaign is over as Serbia was eliminated although he only featured once after suffering a collateral ligament injury in his left knee against England which will keep him out for two weeks. Therefore a move could materialise quite quickly going forward providing he recovers okay.
Kostic would be a solid option at left wing-back
One position needing to be strengthened for Palace is the left-wing back role, with Mitchell the only option to play there at the moment.
For this role, the Serbian could be perfect. Kostic has been likened to Gareth Bale for his style of play which resembles the Welshman’s likely thanks to his aggressive attacking play.
Kostic would offer Palace something different to Mitchell and could be utilised against opponents who Palace are expected to dominate or as a cameo when Glasner needs a goal.
At 31, he isn’t a player we’d necessarily choose to come in and feature regularly as it doesn’t fit the recruitment model which Freedman has put in place, but as a stop-gap option for a year or two, he could be excellent.
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